Bittersweet Freedom
by Hermonie
Summary: Sirius's escape from Hell. Can he survive the flood of memories that overcomes him? Use of U2's "Beautiful Day"


Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. And the concept of leather pants is Cassandra Claire's. 

An: The song is U2's Bueatiful Day off the "All that you can't leave behind" cd.

Freedom

__

The heart is a bloom  
Shoots up through the stony ground

Paddle... faster.... almost there.....

Sirius kept repeating it to himself, over and over again, land had to be right on the other side of that wave, it couldn't possibly be any farther away.

  
_There's no room  
No space to rent in this town_

You're out of luck  
And the reason that you had to care  


Every paddle he took, the waves took one stronger. As if some evil Neptune was laughing at him, willing him to stop and meet with a watery end. Perhaps with some peace. 

__

The traffic is stuck  
And you're not moving anywhere

And then he saw it. Land. Sweet beautiful, deserted stretch of land. But it was still as far away as it had been, Neptune was laughing again. Sirius turned into a man, and kicked with everything he had left. If he died today, let it be of his own accord, on the sandy beaches where he grew up.

__

You thought you'd found a friend  
To take you out of this place  
Someone you could lend a hand  
In return for grace

And then, a savior, in the form of an old wooden plank. Sirius grabbed hold, and passed out. When he woke, a miracle. not only had he stayed on the board, but he had reached land. Bittersweet land. Home. 

__

It's a beautiful day  
Sky falls, you feel like  
It's a beautiful day  
Don't let it get away

Sirius awoke to the crashing of waves. Picking his head up off the dunes, he tasted the salt and sand in his mouth, felt the gritty sea air in his lungs. But he was on land. Free land. England. Sirius wooped and hollered. He had never felt this pure feeling of ecstasy before. As if years of love and happiness had broken threw the floodgates of hell, and were jumping at him, trying to be felt all at once. Sirius jumped around the dunes, not caring if Voldemort himself saw him. 

__

You're on the road  
But you've got no destination

Sirius transformed into a dog again, and started sniffing. Salt, bad hot-dogs and Coppertone filled his nostrils. Sirius ran over to the nearest road, and started trotting. Every road lead somewhere, and this one lead out of hell.

  
_You're in the mud  
In the maze of your imagination_

Thoughts flooded back threw his doggie mind. Motorcycles, leather pants, Wands, Harry, James, Remus and....... Peter. Snuffles stopped a moment, and growled. But the boy inside him wouldn't let that rat ruin the happiest moment of his life. Not even Peter could do that. 

__

You love this town  
Even if that doesn't ring true  
You've been all over  
And it's been all over you

Running threw the woods, Sirius came to a small road sign. Looking up, it read that Little Surrey was only 45 miles away. It was completely in the wrong direction, but he had to see James again. Even if it wasn't him.

__

Touch me  
Take me to that other place  


Children and adults alike stopped in parks to give him food on his journey, and to hug him. For once, people didn't scorn upon him as if he were Satin. They loved him for his innocence, even if he was a stray.

__

Teach me  
I know I'm not a hopeless case  


Suddenly, Sirius began to think about his future, and his past. He had to save Harry, and himself. No one was left to trust him thought, and for once, he was friendless, poor, unloved and worst of all, alone. 

__

See the canyons broken by cloud  
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out  
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth  
After the flood all the colors came out

But what did any of that matter now? He was free. He could think his own thought, and eat. The joy of food was ecstasy. Being able to remember good times was ecstasy. And being able to see Harry was ecstasy. And Sirius would right his wrongs, even if it killed him. 

__

What you don't have you don't need it now  
What you don't know you can feel it somehow  
What you don't have you don't need it now  
Don't need it now  
Was a beautiful day


End file.
